Paris, Je t'aime
by Rossnrachgal
Summary: My version of unseen Ross and Rachel getaway to Paris as described by producers in the DVD commentary of the series finale. Chapter 8 up...please review.
1. You Should Go

**So if you're a major Friends fan like me, then you have probably have watched the producers commentary on the series finale DVD. At one point they mention that they were going to have an episode where Ross and Rachel go to Paris for a romantic getaway. I believe they said that this would have been two episodes before the finale. Anyway, they said that they cut this episode because it seemed too unrealistic. Well, this is my take on what that time in Paris may have been like...**

Characters are not my property. This is just for fun.

It had been two days since Rachel shared the jaw-dropping news with her best friends... she was offered a job in Paris that she just could not pass up. While they were all a little bit upset by this at first, they couldn't help but try and be happy for her. Ross was having a more difficult time though. Of course there was the reason of his daughter moving several thousand miles away from him. It was hard enough that his son lived fifteen minutes away, but Emma being on another continent was almost too much for him to take in.

And then there was her. Rachel. They had had so many ups and downs over the past nine years. Being together, broken up, and trying to move on. Back together and broken up again. A drunken marriage. An unplanned pregnancy. It all seemed like a script for a soap opera, but instead it had been their lives. Yet, after all that they had been through they had finally reached a place with which they both seemed contempt. They were raising Emma together as best friends, and it was going very well. Emma was a happy and healthy twenty-three month old and neither of them could ask for anything more. But the last two days Ross had not been able to get Rachel out of his mind. Maybe he was just so used to seeing her everyday that getting used to her being gone was weird for him. His best friend and sister were only a few days away from moving to the suburbs too. He figured that these changes were just going to take some time to get used to. But that's not it, he thought to himself. I'm really going to miss her.

With that he went to Ralph Lauren to see if he could help Rachel get her old job back. He begged and pleaded with her boss, Mr. Zelner. After a few bribes, he actually got Zelner to offer Rachel her old job and more money. And Rachel took it. Why not? It seemed to be the easiest thing to do, she thought. Rachel went to see Ross to tell him the news. At first he couldn't believe what he was hearing. She's staying! However, he noticed a bit of sadness in her voice.

"You should go," he murmured with all the courage in his body.

"What?" Rachel asked, as she was a bit startled to hear him say this.

"It's what you want. You should go," Ross lied.

"You really think so?"

"I really do," he lied again, doing his best to cover his true feelings about the situation.

"Alright, I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna go to Paris!"

Ross and Rachel met for a hug that was deeper than one they had shared in a long time. Ross did everything he could to hide his feelings. Rachel was scared, but felt like she was doing the right thing. After all, she and Ross seemed to have moved past the idea of getting back together. This would be a great opportunity for her to move on.

"Wow, I have so much to do. I need to call Louis Vuitton. I've got to find a place to live. I need to figure out how to get all my stuff there," Rachel said quickly as she and Ross came out of their hug. She was breathing heavily.

"Woah, sweetie. Calm down. Everything is going to work out. When are you supposed to start the job?"

"Well, I think I have a couple of weeks so I should have enough time to get set up over there before I start," Rachel said as she started to catch her breath.

"Yeah, it will be fine. I'll help you with whatever you need," Ross replied.

"Aww, Ross. What would I do without you?"

These words sent a pain soaring through Ross's body. The question was, what was he going to do without her?

"Well why don't you let me keep Emma the next few nights while you sort things out. I wanna spend the time with her anyway."

"Ok. I guess I'm going to go call Zelner now and tell him I'm not coming back."

"He'll understand. You deserve a job that you love and that challenges you. I'm sure he'll see it that way."

"Thanks, Ross. I'll call you later and let you know what's going on and we'll figure out the situation with Emma."

And she left. Ross sat back down on the couch and watched his beautiful daughter in her playpen. His perfect little girl that the perfect woman and given him.

* * *

It was a rainy day in Manhattan. The somber mood outside was similar to what Ross was feeling inside. Last night he had enjoyed some quality time with his daughter. He knew that this was precious as he may only be seeing her a few times a year from now on.

Ross had made breakfast for Emma and was trying to figure out what he was going to do with her that day. He wanted to take her to the park, but the weather outside made it pretty clear that would not be happening. Emma was playing with her food as she sat in her high chair. Ross was looking through the paper for movies that his daughter might enjoy.

"Oh Emma, how about we go see Kill Bill? I'm sure your mother would kill Ross for that one."

Emma stared at Ross. "Daddy."

"Yeah, sweetie, I'm your daddy."

Emma threw a little bit of her food at him.

"Em, come on don't do that."

As Ross prepared to clean her up, Rachel came bursting through the door. This startled Ross a bit.

"Hey, Rach. Whatca doing here?"

"Oh, well I wanted to tell you that I'm gonna go to Paris in a couple of days to look for a place to live," Rachel said as she picked Emma up out of her high chair. "High baby girl."

"Ok, well, don't worry about Emma. Everything will be covered here."

God, she looks beautiful today he thought. Even with her hair in a simple ponytail and wearing jeans and a t-shirt, she still managed to take his breath away.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something." Rachel was trying to hide her nervous tone. She hadn't slept much last night. The idea that she was going to be leaving her friends behind started to seem so much more real. "Do you wanna come with me?"

"To Paris?" Ross asked with a surprised look on his face. Did she mean permanently?

"To help me find a place to live. So you can see where Emma will be living."

"Oh, well, I uh," Ross started.

"I just thought you would want to know what her environment would be like."

"Well, I guess. I mean I'm supposed to work, but maybe I could get out of it."

"And Louis Vuitton is paying for me to fly over. I already asked, and they'll pay for you too. And they said if we book a hotel they'll reimburse us."

"I have never been to Paris. I guess that this could be kinda cool. Maybe I could check out some of the museums while we're there," Ross said trying to sound excited.

"Yeah, see, you can be a geek in all countries," Rachel flirted.

"What about Emma?"

"Oh, my mom said she'd take her."

"Ok then, I guess we're going to Paris."

This definitely wasn't the way Ross had dreamed he would ever be going to Paris with Rachel. When they were dating, she always talked about how she dreamed of going there to see the sites, try the cuisine, and of course to go shopping. Ross had promised her that he would take her one day. When they were approaching their one-year anniversary, he had started looking at what his options would be for taking her within the next six months. It was a trip he never got to plan.

"Hey, do you think you could book the hotel rooms? I've got a gazillion things to do," Rachel asked.

"Yeah sure. Any part of the city in particular?"

"Well my office is in the 8th district, so I'll probably be looking at apartments around there. I guess anything in that area."

Rachel handed Emma back to Ross.

"Thanks, Ross. All this really means a lot to me."

Ross smiled at her. He knew this is what was going to make her happy, so he really tried to be happy for her.

"No problem."

"Ok, well I need to go. I guess plan on flying out the day after tomorrow."

As Rachel turned around to give her daughter one more kiss, Ross couldn't help but wonder what he had just gotten himself into.


	2. On His Shoulder

Ross stared blankly at his laptop. Just hours earlier he had agreed to go with Rachel to Paris, but he was almost mad at himself for doing so. This is just going to make it that much harder to say goodbye to her, he thought to himself. He knew he just had to get over it. When she moved out of his apartment last year, she had moved on for good. He needed to do the same thing too.

Ross couldn't believe how many different travel websites he had to navigate to find a good deal on a hotel. He finally decided on a four star hotel within walking distance to the Champs-Elysees. He booked two rooms that each had a queen size bed and an eat-in kitchen.

"I might as well have a nice place to stay if I'm gonna do this, right Em?" he asked the toddler as she played with a dinosaur stuffed animal on the floor next to the couch.

"Dino," she answered as she gazed up at her father.

"Oh my God, Emma. Did you just say dino?" Ross jumped to his feet and grabbed Emma. "Good girl," he continued as he stroked her golden hair. "Aw, baby. I'm gonna miss you so much."

* * *

"Rachel, come on! We're running late!" Ross shouted to Rachel from the kitchen in Joey's apartment.

"I'm coming," Rachel answered as she came out of the bedroom with two suitcases, a duffle bag, and a carry on bag.

"What are you doing?" Ross asked while staring at all of her bags. "Were going for four days. You're not moving yet."

She dragged everything to the front of the apartment and placed it next to the one bag Ross had brought.

"Ross, we're going to Paris. Did you really expect anything less?"

"I guess not," he responded as he sent a smile her way.

Ross knew it was going to be a very long day. The fact that Rachel had packed her entire closet wasn't going to make getting to the airport any easier. The last time he had flown with her had been only a few months before. Ross, Rachel and their friends had gone to Barbados for his keynote address. However, at that time, the two of them were so focused on other people that they hardly spoke to each other during the trip.

Ross then thought back to the time he and Rachel had playfully flirted with each other when they went to Las Vegas. He loved trying to embarrass her on that flight, but he also thought she was amazingly cute for pouring that water in his lap. To this day, he still enjoyed joking with her about drawing on her face.

Once they were settled on the plane, Rachel started to wonder if anything was bothering Ross. He had been very quiet in the cab ride to the airport, and he read a book while they were waiting to board the plane.

"Hey, you ok?" she asked once the plane had reached a smooth cruising altitude.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" Ross responded looking up from his book.

"You're just quiet. Usually you babble on and on about the science of aviation or how a plane is like a trendactle."

"That's terradactyl, Rach."

Rachel turned her head to the side and gave him a look that suggested "don't start with me".

"I'm fine. I'm just really into this book," Ross lied.

Rachel knew he wasn't telling her the truth. She knew him better than anyone else did, and she could sense that he was upset about something. Perhaps he was still angry with her for deciding to take Emma away from him. She did feel guilty about that, but this was the chance of a lifetime for her. She didn't want to hurt him though. On some level she knew that a part of her would always care for him as more than a friend. The history that they shared was something that would never be completely erased for her. Looking back over the last few months she finally realized that he had moved on. He had dated Charlie for a while and really cared about her. Meanwhile, after Rachel ended things with Joey she went back to wondering if she would ever find love again.

"So are you going to read for most of the flight? No puzzles?" Rachel asked.

"Probably, why?" he inquired.

"Give me your pen," Rachel answered. She put her hand out in front of him.

"Huh?"

"Come on, give me. You aren't drawing on my face again," Rachel said as she put her hand closer to his face.

"Oh, alright. I was just gonna draw on your arms this time though," Ross smirked while reaching into his bag to find his pen.

Rachel responded with a smile and put the pen in her purse. Ross went back to his book and Rachel listened to her iPod for a while. They both wondered if they should be talking to each other or if spending a few hours in silence was ok. When they were dating, they would lay in bed for hours on end without speaking. They just enjoyed each other's bodies and presence. It was as if no words were ever needed to describe how they felt about each other.

About an hour into the flight Rachel fell asleep. Ross had the window seat and Rachel was in the middle. There was no one sitting in the aisle seat. At first Ross was going to ask Rachel to sit in the other seat so they could have a little breathing room, but he was somewhat flattered that she wanted to sit next to him. As she entered a deeper sleep, Rachel turned her head and rested it on Ross's shoulder. He wasn't sure if he should let her stay that way, but she was peacefully asleep. He didn't want to wake her up, so he found the airline blanket and covered her up. Within the next hour, Ross had fallen asleep as well. His head now rested on top of Rachel's, and they remained that way until the words of the captain woke them up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please prepare for our descend into Paris."


	3. One Room

As their cab descended into the City of Lights, Ross and Rachel gazed out separate windows taking in the breathtaking views. Their hotel was in the famous 8th district, home to the Arc de Triomphe and some of the most spectacular shopping in the world. Night had begun to fall on the city, leaving everything in sight illuminating. Cars battled their ways through the busy streets, while tourists tried to find their ways to their next destinations. This was the first time either Ross or Rachel had been to France, and they were both extremely impressed.

"Ross, look!" Rachel exclaimed as she pointed out the window. "There's the Louis Vuitton building!"

Ross leaned over to her side of the backseat so he could see out her window. There was the building that Rachel was going to start her new adventures in. The reason she was leaving him behind, he thought.

"Wow, a little smaller than I imagined," he said.

"Ross, these buildings aren't supposed to be like the skyscrapers in New York. They're so much more eloquent."

"I'm just messing with you. I think it looks really nice."

They finally reached their hotel. They paid the cab driver with their new currency and tried to be polite by speaking French with him. Neither spoke the language very well.

The hotel was beautiful from the outside. The white stucco building stood six stories high. Each window had an array of flowers planted in boxes that rested below each window frame. A bellhop in a red uniform greeted them as they entered the lobby.

As they approached the counter, Ross took out his receipt that he had printed from the computer.

"Bonjour, comment sont vous ce soir?" asked the woman behind the reception desk.

Ross and Rachel looked at each other. Neither one was sure if they should ask her to speak English.

"Parlez-vous anglais?" Ross asked with a distinguishing American accent.

"Ah, vous-etes americains," she responded.

"Oui," Ross answered.

"Yes, I speak English," she replied in her heavy French accent.

"We just want to check in," Rachel cut in.

"Yeah," Ross said handing her the receipt. "Two rooms under Geller."

The woman did some typing on her computer and then lifted her eyes back up at them.

"We only show that you booked one room, sir," she stated.

"No, no. My receipt shows two. See two rooms with queen sized beds," Ross roared as he pointed at his receipt.

"I am afraid that sometimes those online sites do not always send us the correct information. Today we only have one room left," she said, as she made sure to use a thick accent.

Ross and Rachel turned to look at each other. Both of their stomachs started to get churning butterflies.

"Do you wanna go somewhere else?" Ross whispered.

Rachel was exhausted. The last thing she wanted to do was drag all her bags around trying to find another place to stay.

"No, we can share," she said shyly as she looked away from him.

"Ok, we'll take it," Ross told the woman.

She gave them each a key and they made their way to the elevator. Ross, being the gentleman that he always had been to Rachel, took two of her bags for her. They stood nervously beside each other in the elevator. Despite the fact that the ride to the fourth floor seemed like several minutes, it was in fact only several seconds.

They entered the room to find a nice cozy setup. As promised, there was a small kitchenette and a queen size bed. A small table with two chairs was next to the open window.

"Where's the closet?" Rachel asked.

Ross didn't know a lot about France but he knew the Europeans lived much simpler lives than Americans.

"Uh, Rach, I think the French rarely have closets in their hotels. You're just gonna have to put your stuff in the drawers."

"But there's only three!" Rachel exclaimed, still unsure of how anyone could go without a closet.

"Well you can have them," Ross answered sternly as he sat down on the bed. He loosened a top button on his shirt and took off his shoes.

"No, it's ok. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just tired," Rachel said as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah, it's been a long day. Maybe we should get some dinner and then just call it a night."

Rachel looked at the headboard and then looked back at Ross.

"How….um how do you wanna do the sleeping?"

Ross wasn't sure what to say. Did he want to share a bed with Rachel? Of course. However, he did what he knew he should.

"I can sleep on the floor," Ross said softly.

"I can't ask you to do that. We're adults. We can handle this."

But could they? Both had lingering feelings for each other, but didn't know the other person did. The passion they had shared when they were dating was unlike any that either had ever had with another person. There had been nights when they would make love two, three, or even four times. Just a couple of months earlier they had come close to sleeping together again. Rachel's father had a heart attack and wanted Ross to give her a night of passion to help suppress her fears. They both knew that the sexual attraction was still igniting between them. Yet, like they had always done, they continued to keep their feelings secret.

"Ok, well do you wanna go grab some food?" Ross asked? "I'm actually ready to go to sleep here soon."

"Ok," Rachel whispered as she nodded her head.

They found a small panini stand about a block from their hotel. It wasn't the fine dining that they both had gotten excited about over the last couple of days, but they still had four days for that. They ate their sandwiches as they strolled slowly back to their hotel. Both were nervous to go back upstairs.

"Was yours good?" Ross asked as they made their way back into the hotel lobby.

"Yeah, and yours?"

"Quite tasty, actually," Ross said in a high-pitched voice. He was trying to ease the tension.

Rachel smiled at him as they entered the elevator. They stood close to each other for the few seconds that it took to reach the fourth floor.

Upon entering their room, Rachel began to unpack what she could fit into her two drawers. She laid out several outfits on the bed, trying to figure out what she would want to wear while she was in town. She also decided to lay some shirts onto the table so that they would not get wrinkled. Meanwhile, it only took Ross about a minute to put his stuff in his drawer. He rolled his eyes as he watched Rachel with all her clothes.

"I saw that," she said as she walked back to the other side of the room. She zipped up one of her suitcases and put it in the corner.

Ross turned his head to the side and smiled. "Come on, I'm tired. Hurry up," he whined.

Just then it hit Rachel.

"Hey Ross…" she started.

"Yeah?"

"Well I thought we were going to have separate rooms. I only packed a t-shirt to sleep in. I, I, don't have any bottoms."

Ross's mouth opened a little bit. What did he say to that?

"Well, I guess I can give you a pair of my boxers if you want. Uh, to be honest, all I have are my boxers. I don't have any pajama pants." Ross reached into the drawer and grabbed a pair. How awkward was this?

"Thanks," she said shyly. She turned to go into the bathroom and change.

Ross took this time to take off his shirt and put on a t-shirt. He stripped down to his boxers, which had dinosaurs on them. Hoping Rachel wouldn't see this, he tried to get under the covers of the bed before she emerged from the bathroom. He didn't quite make it.

"Aww, look at you," she giggled. "Dinosaurs on the boxers. You haven't changed have you?"

"Nope, still the same geek," Ross said as he climbed under the covers.

Ross couldn't help but stare at Rachel as she brushed her hair. There she was, wearing his underwear and a tight little t-shirt. Ross had always loved the lingerie that Rachel wore for him, but nothing drove him crazier than seeing her in his clothes. There was something so sexy about it.

Rachel put her brush away and made her way to the bed. Their eyes locked as she climbed into the bed. She tried to position herself with as much room between them as possible. However, a queen size bed didn't leave much space at all.

Rachel turned off the lamp on her side of the bed and then turned over on her right side. Without realizing that she had turned, Ross turned onto his left side. That's right, he thought. She always starts out on her right side. He had always slept on his left side when they were together so that he could keep his arm around her. Even in complete darkness, he could see her sparkling eyes gazing at him. He closed his eyes, hoping that hers would be closed if he opened his again. He did so, but her eyes remained open, still staring at him.

"Goodnight," she said softly.

Ross gulped. "Goodnight."

Rachel closed her eyes, but in her mind she was still staring at him.


	4. A Place To Live

Thanks to the fabulous perks of working for a company like Louis Vuitton, Rachel had a list of apartments that she could go look at. In fact, the company had lined everything up for her and given her an itinerary of places to be and the times to be there. There would be someone waiting to show her the apartments. If she didn't find anything on the first day, they had more waiting for her to look at the next day. She truly hoped that she would find something today. She wanted to spend the other three days doing some site seeing. Once she was in Paris without Ross, she wouldn't have anyone to explore the city with. Sure, Emma would be there, but Rachel knew she was going to miss having adults around.

Rachel woke up a bit dazed, but was excited to get started with everything. Ross was still sound asleep so Rachel decided to start getting ready without waking him up. She knew it would take her a while. Once she was ready it wouldn't take him long at all. She tiptoed around the room trying to find everything she needed to get ready. Just as she was about to make it to the bathroom, she stubbed her toe against a chair.

"Damnit!" she shouted.

Ross woke up quickly after she screamed.

"Hm, what's wrong?" he asked rubbing his eyes.

"Sorry. I hit my toe," Rachel replied as she headed into the bathroom.

"It's ok. I need to get up anyway," Ross said as he climbed out of bed. He had forgotten he only had underwear on. Rachel smiled at him after seeing his dinosaur boxers again.

* * *

The first few hours of the apartment hunt were very unsuccessful. Everything Rachel was looking at was furnished, and she seemed to find something wrong with each place. One place had too many stairs to climb. The agent tried to explain that older European apartment buildings didn't have elevators. One place was very nice on the inside, but the view of a brick wall didn't excite Rachel very much. The next place had a nice view, but the bathroom was way too small for Rachel. By the time they got to the fourth apartment, the agent was beginning to become somewhat frustrated.

"Rachel," he said in a thick French accent, "Paris apartments are not quite like those you have in America. Kitchens and toilets are small, and the closets are not what you call walk-ins."

"I know, I know," she said looking up at Ross. Ross shrugged and didn't respond. "I'll know if it's right when I see it," she said as they climbed the stairs to the fourth place.

This apartment was only about a five to ten minute walk from Louis Vuitton. It was a little pricier than the others she had seen, but with the money she would be making she wasn't too worried about. Besides, this would mean more time with Emma and less time commuting. It was a two-bedroom place. The bedrooms were right off of the living room, and the kitchen and bathroom were opposite the bedrooms. It was decorated in a fairly modern style, which Rachel liked. The other places had looked like a place you would go to have tea with the queen; not somewhere you would relax after a long day at work.

"What do you think?" the agent asked after they had toured the place.

"It's nice. I really think this could work," she responded.

Ross had wandered away from them to check out the outside balcony. They were five stories high, so the view was better than any they had seen all day. The only thing about a fifth floor place was climbing five flights of stairs. Rachel thought she could live with it though.

"Hey, Rach! Come look at this," Ross hollered from the balcony.

She emerged through the double doors and a look of amazement overcame her face. Ross grabbed her and put her in front of him. The balcony was quite small, so he positioned her in front of him with his hands on her waist. She looked down at first, but then the spectacular view distracted her.

"Wow," she said softly.

"Pretty amazing isn't it?"

"Yeah," she whispered.

Ross realized that his hands were still on her waist. He slowly removed them hoping she wouldn't even notice they had been there. Their bodies were still very close together so they could both fit on the balcony. Ross could smell Rachel's perfume. Now that's amazing, he thought.

"So, do you think this could work?" the agent said from inside.

Rachel turned around quickly to find her face very close to Ross' chest. She looked up at him as she squeezed by him to go back inside.

"Yeah, you know I think this is the one," Rachel answered.

"Fabulous! Let us go back to my office to complete the paperwork and you shall be free to move in within one week."

* * *

The sun set over the City of Lights as day one started to wind down. It had taken most of the day to get the apartment situation taken care of. At this point, they could have headed back for New York. However, they did not want to have to worry about changing their flight information. Ross was looking forward to spending a few days with Rachel anyway. He knew that once they got back to New York there would be little time for that.

They decided that they would go to a nice restaurant for dinner tonight. Ross had seen a place when they first arrived that he wanted to try, so Rachel agreed since she had dragged him around all day.

A few minutes before they were going to leave, Rachel emerged from the bathroom in a tight black dress very similar to the one she had worn the night of Monica and Chandler's engagement.

Ross did a double take when he saw her. He gave her a look similar to the one he had the night she had gone out with Phoebe after Emma was born.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Ross responded as he pulled his tie tighter. "You just look really great."

"Aw, thanks. You look pretty sharp yourself" she giggled.

The restaurant was actually a very romantic setting. From the outside, one may have thought it was a bar. However, candles were the only source of light in the dining room. Impressive, Rachel thought.

"This sort of reminds me of that place you took me for my birthday that one time," Rachel noted after sitting down.

"Yeah I remember," he replied with a smile.

"Wow, so French food sure is different, isn't it?" Rachel said as she scanned the menu.

"But, Rach, I know how much you love eating snails," Ross responded.

"Well you know me so well don't you?"

"Hey, look, you can get this chicken, poulet entrée thing," Ross laughed without any notion of what the food actually was.

"Why don't you try that, and I'll just drink lots of wine?"

"Hmm, a drunk Rachel sharing a bed with me. I think it's a great idea!"

She gave him a "I know you're kidding" look.

"We'll see about that," she replied.

And that's how the rest of the evening went. It felt so natural. Just the two of them in this foreign city eating this foreign food. They were able to talk and laugh with each other just like they had when they were a couple. Nothing seemed different to either of them. Except for the fact that they weren't a couple. But that didn't stop them from enjoying each other's company. They also enjoyed what was probably too much wine.

Back at the hotel the effects of the wine were starting to hit Rachel. She could hardly keep her eyes open as she hit the bed with her clothes still on. Ross giggled at her and tried to help her back up.

"Come on you silly drunk," he said while tugging her arm.

"Aw, so so tired," she blabbered.

"Ok, then you're gonna have to sleep in your nice dress."

"Ok," Rachel mumbled as she rolled over on her side. "I'm just too tired."

Ross changed and emerged from the bathroom to find Rachel still lying on her side. He thought she was asleep when he climbed into bed. However, just as he turned out the light, he heard her whisper.

"Goodnight, Ross." She then put her arm over his chest and pulled him a little closer to her. Then she was out cold.


	5. Above the ground

Rachel awoke to the sound of an opening door with little memory of how she had fallen asleep the night before. She wasn't really hung over, but she felt like she hadn't slept very long. Ross was coming in just as Rachel was waking up. He had gone out for some coffee and breakfast.

"Hey, look who's up," he said as he saw her stretching and rubbing her eyes.

"What time is it? And why am I still in my dress" she asked.

"10:30. You passed out drunk from all that wine before I could try and get you to change. Now get up so we can start all the fun sightseeing. I demand that we go to the Louvre first."

"Alright, alright. What's so special that you want to see there anyway? Can't you just see it in a book?" Rachel asked as she emerged from the bed and crossed the room to see what Ross had brought back.

"Rach, come on. The Louvre is the biggest art museum in the world. There is art from every ancient civilization in one building. You know I can't miss that," he babbled as he handed her a croissant.

"I'm just kidding with you. I'd like to see what the big deal is anyway. But tomorrow we go shopping." She sat down at the table and started eating her croissant.

Ross took a seat next to her and put his hand on hers. (For some reason, even though they weren't a couple, they always seemed to have moments where they touched each other unconsciously. There had been the time Rachel's sister Jill had come for Thanksgiving. After a comment about Emma's nose, Ross and Rachel grabbed each other's hands. Right before Rachel had given birth, she had thanked everyone for being so understanding during the pregnancy. Ross was sitting on the arm of the couch, and she clutched her arm on his leg. Small gestures like this often made others think that they could be a couple.)

"Deal," Ross grinned.

They spent several hours touring the Louvre. Neither of them had actually realized how big it was going to be. From standing in the long lines to see the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa, to scouring the long hallways with Egyptian art, they tried to see everything that could be done in one day. Ross explained many paintings to Rachel. She listened intently and admired how smart he was. She may have always acted as if his intelligence was a flaw, but underneath she loved what she could learn from him.

"I think this one is from the thirteenth century," Ross said as he pointed out a sculpture. They were making their way through the final exhibit that they wanted to see.

"I thought dinosaurs were your thing, Ross. Where did you learn about all this stuff?"

"Just a lot of reading, I guess. I spent all those years in high school when I wished I had been going out with you in my room reading. And whacking off," he teased.

Rachel playfully slapped his shoulder. She shook her head while smiling and then proceeded to start walking in front of him so that they could leave.

They emerged from the glass pyramid and strolled into the courtyard. The sun had started setting, leaving the Paris sky pink and blue.

"How long were we in there?" Rachel asked.

"Like five hours," Ross answered.

"Well what do you wanna do? I'm not ready to go back to the room. I mean we're in Paris."

"I wouldn't mind seeing the Eiffel Tower at night. We can go back during the day too, but I hear it's an amazing site at night."

And that it was. The spectacular structure was illuminated from top to bottom. Ross and Rachel simply had to take several minutes to just take it all in. There were probably thousands of people in the area. Children ran around the streets. Couples strolled hand in hand. Teenagers sat on the grass and guzzled wine.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Ross finally asked.

"I know. I can't believe I'm moving here. I'm not even sure New York has anything that can compare to this."

"Lots of taxis," Ross groaned.

Ross tried to hide the pain that had overcome his face. Just hearing her say that sent a deep angst through his entire body.

"You ok?" she asked as she noticed his mood seemed to change within seconds.

"Yeah, yeah. Just going to miss you, that's all," he confessed, and then paused for a few seconds. "What do you say we buy a ticket and head to the top?"

Ross started walking without her towards the ticket booth.

"Ok," she answered trying to figure out what she had done.

They rode to the top in total silence. Everyone else in their group was happy and carefree, but these two stood next to each other as if they were total strangers.

They emerged from the elevator and saw the City of Lights before them. They could see for miles in every direction. At this moment there were no words to describe what they were seeing. They stood in silence for a few more moments just gazing into the open air.

Rachel, starting to realize why Ross was so quiet, finally spoke.

"You know Paris doesn't have you. And I guess New York can't compare to here for that one reason."

Ross turned his head and looked down at her. There they were. Those beautiful green eyes. She looked back at him with the same intensity. Perhaps it was that they were in the most romantic setting in the world, but something came over Ross. He suddenly, without thinking, grabbed Rachel by the waist and then slowly leaned in to give her a gentle kiss. It was simple. Just a light brush of the lips. But it was enough for both of them to know what had been happening over the last few days. The intense feelings that they both still felt for each other rocketed to the surface atop the Eiffel Tower.

As Ross removed his lips from Rachel's, she gazed up at him. She wasn't sure what to do or say. She put her fingers on her lips, and then moved her face back towards his. The kiss was a bit more passionate this time. It only lasted a few seconds, as they were surrounded by tons of people trying to get around them. They were forced apart and had to start walking back towards the elevator. Rachel walked in front of Ross and did not know what would happen when she had to look at him again. Ross had butterflies in his stomach. They walked back onto the elevator and stood side by side, each knowing that they only had a few moments to come up with something to say before getting back to the ground.


	6. This moment

This chapter is rated **M **for sexual content. I didn't want to rate the entire story this because most of it is very appropriate for all ages. If you think that the writing will make you uncomfortable, you may not want to read it. While I do find it a little weird to write about sexual encounters between fictional characters, I really think it's the best way to portray what they're feeling instead of just saying what they did in a quick paragraph. Hope you like it.

The elevator door opened and the crowd of people poured back onto the Paris streets. Ross and Rachel had avoided eye contact for nearly two minutes now, and they both knew that something would have to be said about what just happened. Ross, with his hands in his pockets, made his way out of the elevator first and walked several feet. He turned around and started rocking back and forth nervously on his heels. Rachel followed and raised her eyebrows at him as he turned around to face her.

"I, uh, I'm not sure…." Ross started.

"Me either," Rachel echoed at the same moment.

"I mean, was that? Did we just?" Ross continued to mumble.

"Yeah, I think we did," Rachel answered.

"I wasn't planning on…." Ross tried to assure her.

"I know," Rachel interrupted. "I wasn't either."

"So what should we?" Ross started to ask.

"Maybe we should head back. It's been a really long day and I'm ready to get off my feet."

"You wanna take a cab or the train?" Ross asked.

"Train's fine. It's probably cheaper anyway. I mean I thought New York cabs were expensive," Rachel said as she tried to bring up anything for them to talk about besides what had just happened.

"I know. I don't ever take them anymore. I've always liked the train more anyway."

They started walking towards the closest entrance to the Metro. Rachel walked in front of Ross most of the way, keeping her arms crossed in order to keep warm. The temperature had changed dramatically in the last twenty-four hours. Ross noticed that she seemed to be a little cold, but he kept quiet since he didn't have a jacket to offer her.

"You have an extra Euro?" Rachel asked when they arrived at the station. She was digging through her purse but couldn't find the right change.

"Yeah. I can get both of them," Ross answered quietly.

Once on the train, they both tried to continue with the small talk. They both knew that they would eventually have to discuss what had happened, but neither one wanted to make the first move.

"You still wanna go shopping tomorrow?"

"Hmm-hmm," Rachel mumbled as she nodded.

"We probably should call your mom too and check on Emma. I've got a few minutes left on that calling card."

"Ok. I bet she's having the time of her life and doesn't even notice were gone," Rachel murmured.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure she can tell that you're not there. Kids are smarter than you'd think," Ross said trying to lighten the mood.

"I know," she said looking up at him. "Especially Emma. She gets it from you."

The nervousness in Rachel's stomach was growing with each second. Why was she so nervous to talk to Ross about this? They had had many instances before that resulted in a bit of awkwardness, but something about tonight was different. The realization that she would be leaving Ross and her friends behind was becoming more tangible every minute.

Ross wondered what she was thinking. He knew that she was nervous, but he didn't want her to be. Yes, they probably would have to discuss this tonight or tomorrow, but he hated seeing her upset.

After about fifteen minutes of continued small talk and long periods of silence, they had finally made it back to the hotel. Neither was sure of what it would be like to be in the small hotel room, forced to confront one another about the first kiss they had shared in a long time.

Rachel sat down on the bed, as if waiting for Ross to start talking or move closer to her. He stood several feet away, but finally decided to inch closer to her as she stared straight into his eyes. "What are you doing?" he thought to himself. What was it about this woman that he could just not seem to let her go? They had not been an official couple in six years, and even though he had dated several women since, he was always led back to her. Could this be the moment to try and get her back for good, or was it just setting him up for more pain?

He was now at the side of the bed, standing directly in front of Rachel. She looked straight ahead at his chest, and then back up at his face. "What is about to happen?" she thought to herself. Of course she had noticed a little of bit of flirtation between them in the last few months, and especially during this trip. But she figured it was just Ross being Ross. She had never imagined his feelings for her might still be this strong. She had kept trying to put away her continued feelings for him, and a move to Paris would be the ultimate way of doing so. Yet, here they were, alone in a hotel room. They had just shared a kiss in a fairytale setting, and now Rachel wasn't sure what she was about to do.

His hand rested on her left shoulder. Her right arm crossed her body to reach for it. He slowly pulled her up off the bed so that she was standing right in front of him. They both knew that what was about to happen was probably going to be a huge mistake with unimaginable consequences, but in this moment it didn't seem to matter.

Ross pulled her face to his. He started with another gentle kiss. Rachel moved her hands to his face as he slid his hands down to her waist. The gentle kiss became more passionate, with Rachel gliding her tongue into his mouth. Ross reciprocated and suddenly they were in a heavy make out session. Rachel's hands made their way into his hair, and she began massaging his head in gentle strokes. All the tension between them in the last few months had come down to this moment. Rachel had tried to make a move on Ross after her father's heart attack, but nothing came of it. The flirting and having to share a bed on this trip just ignited a stronger sexual tension between them, and it was something they couldn't fight any longer.

During the kiss, Rachel finally pulled away to try and speak.

"We shouldn't…" she whispered, breathing heavily.

Ross didn't let her finish. He pulled her back into the kiss. Instead of pulling away again, she started to move her hands up and down his chest. She could feel his muscles underneath his shirt and began tugging on it so that Ross would know she wanted it to come off. He broke away from the kiss and caught his breath for a couple of seconds. He smiled at Rachel and let her move her hands up and down his chest once more. She slowly pulled the shirt up his torso, revealing a tanned stomach that she wasn't used to. She smiled back at him as he lifted his arms over his head. She raised the shirt up above his head, and then let him finish taking it off. Her hands moved back to his shoulders as they started to kiss again.

Ross' heart rate began climbing as he worked his tongue back into Rachel's mouth. He ran his hands forcefully through her golden hair. It was all he could do to not throw her on the bed right there and begin to have his way with her. However, he knew that if this was going to happen it had to be slow and sensual. After all, they had been through their phases of the "animal sex" when they were dating. He pulled away from her, allowing him to get a drawn out look at her beautiful face. His hands moved slowly from her hair to the top button of her blouse. One by one, he slowly began to loosen the buttons on her shirt. She never took her eyes off of his, and after he took off her bra she drew him back into another kiss.

As his hands softly grazed her back, his mouth moved to her neck. He ran his tongue up and down the crevice of her neck, forcing the first light moans out of her. Without taking his tongue off of her warming body, he moved forward, forcing her to fall backwards onto the bed. She pulled herself up to the head of the bed so she could rest her head on a pillow. Ross positioned himself above her, but before he went to work on her body, he pulled her into an embrace.

They both knew that this was more than just an unplanned sexual encounter. As much as they wanted it to just be about this moment, about the moment that they just had to have each other, they knew that there were deeper emotional ties to this night. Before going any farther, Ross wanted to make sure that she was all right.

With his arms around her shoulders he whispered into her ear. "You ok?"

While stroking her hands through his hair she whispered, "Yeah, don't stop."

He brought his face back to hers and gave her another kiss. His kisses began moving down her shoulders and then to her breasts. His tongue grazed her nipples in circular motions, causing small whimpers to emerge from her mouth. He could tell she was trying to keep her pleasure to herself, but he wanted to force her to scream into a pillow if she had to. His tongue inched its way down to her stomach, which was rising at a fast rate as she breathed heavily with anticipation. He proceeded to unbutton her jeans, watching her as she looked back down at him. After helping her slide out of them, he threw them to the floor. He then pulled her underwear off of her, revealing her entire nude body just as beautiful as he had remembered it.

Starting at her foot, Ross kissed her inch by inch down her perfectly smooth leg. Upon reaching her thigh, he teased her for what seemed like several minutes until he finally found her most sensitive spots. For the next ten minutes, Ross did everything he could to please Rachel so that she would lose all control of her body. No matter how geeky Ross seemed to everybody else, when it came to pleasing Rachel he did what no other man could do for her. At first she tried to keep her moans soft, but by the time she was ready to climax she couldn't hold it anymore and began screaming his name repeatedly.

After taking a few deep breaths to recover, Rachel sat up and pulled a smiling Ross into a tight hug. He rested on top of her for a moment, kissing her neck as she held him close. Ready to take over, Rachel pushed him away from her so that she could let him flip on his back and she could move on top of him. She wanted to make him feel how he had just made her feel. She kissed his chest for a while, and then finally made the initiative to undo his belt. He sat up as she helped him take off his jeans, and then he slid off his boxers so that both of their bodies were now completely exposed for each other to see.

Almost nervous because her emotions were now overtaking her, Rachel started to give Ross all the pleasure he deserved. He was such a caring man, and she wanted to show him how much he meant to her. Even though he had broken her heart all those years before, she was now at a place where nothing in their past mattered to her anymore. He had proved himself as a man that deeply cared for her. She saw the hurt in his eyes when he discovered she had said "yes" to Joey's supposed proposal. When she found out how upset he was about her kissing Gavin, she yelled at him instead of trying to comfort him about the situation. She ran away from him in a moment when they probably could have finally tried to work things out. She tried to let him move on and she thought that he had. But she now knew that he hadn't, and that she hadn't either. Tonight, she wanted to prove to him that she still cared about him too.

Fighting to hold back his sensations, Ross pulled Rachel away and got up from the bed and pulled his pants off the floor. He found his walled in his back pocket and removed a condom from it. He let Rachel lie back down on the bed and then positioned himself above her again. They were both breathing heavily, and she reached for him so that she could hug him again. He didn't know if she wanted him to wait, so he allowed her to hold him in one of the tightest embraces he had ever felt from her.

"Do you want to?" he whispered to her.

"Yeah, yeah. I just wanted to hold you for a minute," she said softly.

When he finally entered her body, it was as if all the pain they had ever put each other through disappeared. Their bodies rocked together with intense passion, but Ross never left Rachel's embrace. Their lovemaking was something that couldn't ever compare to any time with any other lover. Ever. When their bodies came together it was almost as if they were in some other dimension. It was something completely out of this world.

Eventually, Rachel moved on top of Ross, allowing her to control everything. They enjoyed each other's bodies for at least another twenty minutes, but who was actually counting? Again, Rachel was not worried about keeping quiet. She knew that Ross knew that she was enjoying herself. And that's how she wanted it. Even Ross let his guard down and said her name many times, grasping her hands tighter each time. When it finally ended she fell on top of him, breathing heavier and heavier until she finally caught her breath. Ross wrapped his arms around her, letting her know it was ok for her to stay put if she wanted. When they had both cooled off, he reached for the blanket and pulled it over both of them. Rachel slid off of Ross' stomach and rested her head on his shoulder and draped her arm over his chest. It was just like it had always been. Passion followed by extreme tenderness. Maybe it would have sounded like a corny fairytale to others. Most women would have said that their man would turn over and go to sleep after sex, but Rachel could say that Ross was different.

They lay together for a few more minutes before worrying about discussing what had just happened. They both wanted to savor this moment, because both knew that this could be the last time they would ever have this feeling ever again.

Ross turned on his side to face Rachel, who had turned on her side as well.

"Hey," Ross said as he smiled at her.

"Hey," she happily replied. She put her hand on his cheek and stroked it with her thumb.

"That was, that was amazing," Ross said.

"I know," Rachel agreed as she smiled back at him.

"Probably one of the best," Ross stated.

"Pretty up there," Rachel replied as she continued to gaze deep into his eyes.

"Gosh, you just," Ross started.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"You look so amazing."

Rachel closed her eyes for a second. "Nah….just older."

"No, you're beautiful," he insured her.

"You're not so bad yourself," she replied. "And it seemed like you learned a few new tricks."

"Maybe," Ross hummed. "I like to brush up on my skills every so often," he joked.

Rachel closed her eyes again as the toll of this major workout was starting to catch up to her.

"You tired?" Ross asked.

"A little," she responded with a giant yawn.

Ross sat up a little and reached for the light by the bed. He turned off the lamp, and then moved back into position so he could pull Rachel close to him again.

"Get some sleep. You've got a lot of shopping to do tomorrow," Ross suggested.

"Hmm, so do you," Rachel whispered as she returned her arm to his chest.

And with that they fell asleep holding each other tightly. But there would of course be unanswered questions to face in the morning.


	7. Too

Ross awoke to the sound of an ambulance driving by the hotel. He thought it was still early, but after checking his watch he realized that it was already 9:30. He had slept like a baby after his love making session with Rachel the night before. He turned on his side to find her still sound asleep. Her beautiful smooth body was exposed entirely as she had pushed the covers off of her at some point in the night.

Ross got up for a moment only to find his boxers. He put them back on and climbed back into the bed so he could watch Rachel sleep. He didn't want to freak her out if she woke up to find him staring at her, but he couldn't help but gaze at her stunning face. When she did wake up, he was unsure of what was going to happen. It would be so hard to just let things go back to the way they were. He knew that two people could have an amazing night of sex and just go on with their lives. But what they had shared last night was so much more than just sex. He had this familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach after he was with her. It was like the thought of not being able to hold her was physically draining. She made him feel like there was so much more to life than the one he had been living in the past few years. The only other people in his life that made him feel that important were his children. Last night had confirmed his lingering feelings, and now he was unsure of what direction to try and take things.

Rachel stretched as she turned from her back to her side. She groaned a little, forcing a small grin to appear on Ross's face. Her eyes opened to find Ross looking at her.

"Hey there, sleepy," he said.

"Hi," she whispered, sitting up a little to find her body was completely exposed. She pulled the blanket over her and then returned to her side so she could face Ross.

"Did you sleep ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, you?" she replied.

"Pretty good," he quickly responded.

He took his hand and brushed Rachel's messy hair behind her ear. She smiled a little, looking down as he did so. Ross leaned in close to her and gave her a small kiss on the forehead, and she returned her eyes to his as he pulled away.

"You know, last night was incredible," Ross said knowing that one of them was going to have to start the conversation.

"I know," Rachel hesitated. "You really know how to drive me crazy," she continued.

Ross smiled. "Well I try," he answered as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm.

"Honestly, that was the first time that I've, well you know that I've since the night we conceived Emma," Rachel confessed.

Ross was completely startled at that statement. Of course it made him happy that she had not been with another man, especially Joey. But he was also surprised that she had not been able to allow her self to be intimate with someone in almost three years. Was it because she was still in love with him?

"Really?" Ross asked.

"Yeah, I guess I just haven't really dated much since having Emma. You know it hasn't worked out that way."

It had been difficult for her to be a single mother and not really have the chance to date. She left the hospital with Emma assuming that she and Ross would be getting back together in the coming days, and that she would finally be able to be with the man she loved. When it didn't work out, she had the opportunity to pursue things with Joey. She later realized that her feelings for Joey were more physical than emotional. At that time, she was yearning for a man to make her feel like a woman again. Giving birth had changed her body and hormones, but she still had needs just like anyone else. Last night Ross had definitely made her feel like a woman.

"I know, hon," he said as he continued to rub her arm.

"So what do you we do now?" she asked nervously.

"I mean, I know that I'd like for it to be able to happen again," Ross admitted.

Before Rachel could answer, the phone in their room rang. Ross gave Rachel a look that implied he wanted her to let it ring, but she sat up and answered it anyway.

"Hello?"

Ross sat up as well, hoping that maybe it was Sandra calling so Emma could talk to them.

"Oh, yes. Ah-hah," Rachel replied to the person on the other end. "Today at 1:00?"

She looked at Ross, who appeared very confused.

"Sure, ok. I'll see you then," she said as she hung up the phone.

"Who was that?" Ross asked.

"Louis Vuitton. They want me to come in and meet everyone today so that I'll know everyone when I start."

"How did they know where you were staying?"

"They wanted to know where I was staying while I was here looking for an apartment. You know just in case they needed anything," Rachel answered.

"So you're gonna go today?"

"Well they want me to, so I guess I should," she replied.

"I thought we were going to spend the day together. You said you wanted to go shopping," Ross said.

"Well they need me to come in. We can go after I finish."

Ross shook his head. "No, No. Rachel, I was really hoping we could talk about what happened. We've been avoiding each other for so long and now after last night…."

"I know," she interrupted. "I mean I don't know what we should do. Maybe it'll just complicate things if we do that again."

Ross grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. She lost hold of the blanket that was covering her as he tugged at her, but brought it back up over her chest again.

"But it won't. Come on last night happened because we still care about each other," he begged.

"Yeah but if we had separate rooms it probably wouldn't have even be an option," she gushed back.

"Rach, do you know how long I've just wanted to grab you and kiss you like that? This would've happened regardless of the room situation."

"Ross, I'm not saying that I didn't want it to happen. But now I've got this job thing. You know, what am I supposed to do?"

He squeezed her hand tighter. His other hand stroked her arm and then made it's way to her face.

"Look, I know we've been through a lot and this all may seem crazy. But can you look at me and tell me that it didn't mean anything to you?"

Of course it meant something to her. It was possibly the best sex she had ever had with the only person she had ever truly loved. But what if they gave everything another shot and it turned out just like before? She would be throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime for something that she wasn't one hundred percent sure about. Or was she? She was so confused.

"Ross you know it did. But this job….this job is something I've always dreamed of. How can I just pass this up?"

Now was his chance. He had practically confessed everything anyway, so he had to just say it.

"Because I love you."

Her eyes became teary. What was happening? Here he was professing his love for her, but all she could think about was risking this job.

"No, no, you're just saying that so I won't take Emma away," she whimpered as a stream of tears slowly emerged from the corners of her eyes.

"No, Rachel. Come on how can you even say that?" Ross begged.

"I can't just pass this up, Ross. I just can't."

"Rachel!" Ross shouted as he leapt up from the bed. He turned to look at her. "Please give us a chance! I don't want to go another day without you in my life!"

"And if we end up right back where we were? Then what?"

"Come on! Isn't me telling you that I'm madly in love with you enough? What else do you need?"

Ross had lost it by now. Even his eyes were releasing small tears. He couldn't remember if he had ever cried in front of Rachel, but he didn't care.

She buried her face in her hands. "I don't know! Look, please just let me go meet with them today and we'll talk about this when I get back."

"I've got to get out of here," Ross blurted as he crossed the room. He found his jeans from the day before and threw them on. He then grabbed a clean shirt from the dresser.

"Where are you going?" Rachel asked with a confused tone.

"I don't know. But I can't stand being here and watching you try to make this new life when all I want is for you to tell me you love me too!" he admitted as he avoided eye contact with her.

"Ross, please!" she cried.

"Go do your thing or whatever," he said as he put his shoes on.

"Are you coming back?"

"I don't know," he replied as he grabbed his walled and hotel key. And then he was gone.

* * *

Rachel cried non-stop for at least five minutes. She hated making Ross feel like that, but they couldn't even have one conversation about "them" without getting into screaming matches. It had been that way for years, and she couldn't help but think it would continue to be that way. The way he had just lost his temper could only be an indication of how he would be in the future. This job was definite. She knew it could bring her great things. She finally pulled herself together and got ready so she could meet with her new co-workers in a couple of hours.

Ross strolled the streets with everything racing through his mind at a thousand miles an hour. He hated yelling at her the way he just did. But how could she even consider leaving New York now? Wasn't a chance at making a family more important to her than this job? She would be all alone here. Yes, she would eventually make some new friends and possibly meet someone new, but could she just throw away her feelings for him? By now he had to wonder if she did still have any feelings for him.

For the next four hours, Ross roamed the streets of Paris with these continued thoughts. He went to a museum, had lunch at an amazing café, and even went window-shopping at a few stores. This was something he was supposed to be sharing with Rachel. Perhaps if he had never agreed to come to Paris with her this would have all been easier. He would have let her go, and while it would have been hard, he would have eventually found a way to move on. Now after last night he felt his life would never be complete without her. Deciding that staying here was just going to be too hard, he headed back to the hotel so he could pack his stuff and go home early.

He returned to find Rachel sitting in a chair staring out the window. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost 2:00, so he figured she should be at Louis Vuitton by now.

"Hey," he whispered.

She didn't say anything. Her back was turned towards him so he couldn't see her face.

"Rachel?"

With tears rolling down her cheeks, she tried to remain quiet so Ross wouldn't know she was crying.

Ross inched closer to her, scared to bother her if she didn't want to talk to him. As he approached the table, he noticed some papers had been torn up. He grabbed one of them trying to figure out what they were. He saw a line that read "signature de locataire" (tenant signature) where Rachel had signed her name.

"This is?" Ross started to ask.

Rachel turned around to look at Ross. Her tears had turned into a constant cry that she couldn't hold back any longer. Ross dropped the paper on the table and grabbed her, burying her face in his chest. His arms found their way around her fragile body and served as a protective shield she needed at this moment. He just held her for a moment without questioning what was going on. She released her emotions while he held her for at least another minute, until she was finally able to pull herself out of the embrace and look at him.

"I couldn't go," she said wiping the tears away from her face.

"What? Couldn't go where?" Ross asked in a confused tone.

"To Louis Vuitton. I got there and stayed outside for a long time. I kept trying to walk inside, but I just couldn't. If I did I knew it would mean that I couldn't be with you."

"You what?"

"You were right. You're so much more important than any job. And I was just scared to admit it earlier," she confessed.

"You mean?"

Rachel shook her head yes as she finally allowed a smile to cover her face. "I love you too."


	8. This Place

This chapter also has some references to adult material in it, so again if it bothers you skip over it. So even now that you know Rachel confessed her love for Ross, you'd think I should probably end the story. I always wished we had gotten to see more of them as a couple again after their reunion on the show, but we really just got the last scene. So I think it's fun to just write about them being together and see what they would be like as just any other couple. Feel free to review.

* * *

Rachel couldn't contain her laughter.

"So when that happened you were looking at a Van Gogh book? No wonder you started to take such an interest in art," she chuckled.

"Yes, when I looked up and saw that gorgeous body dancing across the street I took a greater interest in the art forms of the nude female body. Especially this one," Ross laughed back as he rubbed his fingertips up and down Rachel's bare stomach.

"This female body?" Rachel asked in a sarcastic tone while she smiled and glared deep into Ross's eyes.

"Yes this one," Ross giggled as he leaned over Rachel. "And this breast," Ross playfully said as he kissed it seductively. He pulled his head up. "And this one too," he continued as he placed a gentle kiss on the other one. Ross then leaned up from his seductive position and kissed Rachel, making an "mmm-ah" sound as his lips left her mouth.

Rachel laughed and ran her hands through Ross's hair. After she had told him that she was indeed in love with him, they hadn't wasted any time showing each other how much they loved one another. Their mid-afternoon was spent in a steamy, passionate love making session. At that moment, there was no need to waste time talking about details about their relationship. They knew that they would talk later for hours about why she was deciding to give "them" a chance. But in that moment, after she said, "I love you too", Ross pulled her into a deep hug and held her. She was no longer crying tears of fear or shame, but of happiness. He let her finish releasing her tears before he let go of her. Even he sprouted a few tears of joy, and then they were able to look at each other with the biggest smiles they had ever given one another.

What followed could only be described as mind-blowing. Almost every time they had made love in the past had been incredible, especially the night before. But maybe it was something about the theory of "make-up" sex that made this time even better. It was like they had to tell each other how sorry they were for the fight before, but they were also telling each other that they knew this was the beginning of forever. Neither one had to say it; they knew that getting back together this time was going to be for good. They weren't silly twenty-somethings looking to play games anymore. They were in their mid-thirties and had a daughter. There would be no more "well what ifs" or "this might ruin our friendship". They both wanted this to work, and this time, instead of asking questions they were letting their hearts lead the way.

Rachel turned over and looked at the clock.

"Wow, 5:30. So we've been in bed for like three hours or something?" she asked.

Ross rubbed the skin in between her breasts. "Ah who's counting?"

"I don't know are you? How many times have we had sex now?" she teased.

"Today or overall?" Ross asked.

Rachel smiled at him.

Ross smiled back. "Remember that weekend we stayed in bed for two days?"

"Of course," Rachel answered seductively. "The only time we got up was to eat or use the bathroom."

"From what I remember most of the eating was done in the bed," Ross joked.

Rachel playfully punched his shoulder. "Well, yes, and I had no complaints about that," she laughed.

"I think we did get out of bed so we could do it on the couch. And on the kitchen table," Ross reminded her.

Rachel laughed. "Yeah I guess you're right. I'm glad you didn't have a roommate. Can you imagine what Monica would have done if we ever did that in her apartment?"

"Maybe we should try it when we get back and see," Ross answered.

"They are moving so it's not like they'll even be in that place much longer," Rachel said sarcastically. "But I wouldn't mind spending a couple of days like that at your apartment."

Ross rolled over so that he was positioned above Rachel. He brushed her hair away from her face. She rubbed her hands up and down his bare back.

"You know, I was thinking if you're really not moving here, maybe we could at least stay a few more days and see more of the city," Ross said. "I don't really want tomorrow to be the last day."

Rachel thought for a moment. "I guess we could try."

"Yeah don't you think your Mom would watch Emma a couple more days?"

"She probably would. I can call her later and ask. You don't have anything going on?"

"Not really. And I can always get people to cover my classes. You wouldn't believe how many geeks in that department like to take extra classes," Ross answered.

"Ohhhh, but you're not a geek at all are you?" Rachel teased as she ran her hand behind Ross's ear.

"Of course not," Ross joked.

He rolled back onto his side of the bed so he wouldn't crush Rachel. She found a place for her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah this sounds good. Then we can enjoy stuff without feeling so rushed," she replied.

"And we can stay in bed the rest of today, right?" Ross giggled.

"Oh come on, we're in Paris. Let's go try some fancy place with food we can't pronounce," Rachel said convincingly.

"Ok, but I at least get to take a shower with you when you're getting ready," Ross said as he sat up a little.

Rachel smiled at Ross. She raised her hands to his face, cupping it as she pulled him in for a kiss. This is what made her happy. There would always be other jobs, but there would only be one true love. And who knew what would happen. Maybe when Ben was older Ross would be able to leave New York and they could live abroad. But for now she was just looking forward to starting over with him.

"Maybe. But I'm a little tired so you may need to wash me," Rachel flirted.

Ross propped his head up with his hand as his elbow rested on the bed. His expression turned into a more serious one. Rachel grabbed his free hand and held it tightly in between their two bodies.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just I'm really glad you decided to give this a shot," he said looking at her.

"Me too," she reaffirmed him as she squeezed his hand.

"I really do love you, you know?" he said.

"I know, honey. I love you too."

"And I'm so sorry I yelled at you this morning. It's just that the thought of losing you again really got to me," Ross continued.

"Hey, hey," Rachel whispered. "It's ok."

"Really?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, Ross, I," she started. "When I moved in with you when I was pregnant, I started having all these feelings again. I mean, I really wanted to tell you, but I couldn't."

"I know, I know."

"And when we almost got back together after Emma was born, God it just killed me that we couldn't figure things out," she confessed. "And ever since then," she paused. "Well honestly I thought you had moved on."

"Far from it. When you told me you were moving to Paris I couldn't even think straight."

"So I guess for the past two years we've both still loved each other and just couldn't find the courage to say it. God I wish I had never said yes to Joey and we would've been together all along."

"I know. But, hey, it's in the past now. That's all that really matters right?"

Her hand squeezed his even tighter. "Right. It's just me and you from now on."

"And we can finally give Emma what she deserves," Ross added.

After sharing another sweet kiss, Rachel decided to make a quick call to her mother and see if she would be willing to watch Emma for a couple of more days. She wasn't going to go in the details of her and Ross because the call would be too expensive, but also because she just wanted to spend the night with Ross without explaining her actions. While Rachel called her mother Ross went to the hotel lobby to see if they could extend their stay two extra nights. Now they would have three more days to see Paris….together.

Deciding that they were both getting hungry, they took their shower together, albeit a little longer than the average shower would normally last. Ross was able to finish getting ready quickly, and his stomach began to growl as he patiently waited for Rachel to do her hair and makeup. Hoping he could talk to the waiter better tonight, he grabbed his French dictionary so that he could practice a few lines. He also wanted to be cute and romantic with Rachel, so he also looked up how to say "I love you".

"Je t'aime," he said. "Je t'aime," he practiced again.

"Talking to yourself, sweetie?" Rachel shouted from the bathroom.

"Just practicing some French! One of us needs to know what we're ordering tonight," he yelled back.

Rachel came out of the bathroom in another stunning black dress. This one went just above the knees, and was very low cut.

"Wow. You've been saving that one for me haven't you?" Ross asked as he stood up. He was dressed up in a nice black suit with a dark blue collared shirt beneath his jacket.

"You wish," she joked.

"So I was thinking we'd go to this place I passed by today. As soon as I saw it I knew I would want to take you there if I had the chance."

She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Hmm. That sounds fantastic."

* * *

Dinner was perfect. It was everything they had imagined it could be. They sat next to each other in a booth, instead of across from each other like they had been doing all these years. They ordered food that was unknown, but were able to enjoy and share it together. Ross tried to speak French with the waiter, but wasn't very successful. Rachel laughed at him but admired him for trying. They fed each other like two people who were newly in love would do. When she wasn't eating, Rachel kept a hand on Ross's leg. Even though they had only been back together for about seven hours, it now felt like they had never been apart.

"Ok, so tomorrow we get to go shopping right?" Rachel asked as they took a romantic stroll on the Paris streets on another chilly night.

"Anywhere you want," Ross answered.

His left hand clutched her right hand tightly. They just didn't want to let go of each other.

"So I know this is totally corny, but last night I noticed that you were cold. Can I give you my jacket tonight since I didn't have one for you last night?" Ross asked.

Rachel smiled at him. "Sure."

They stopped and he took his jacket off and put it on her. Rachel brought her face to his chest while he rubbed her arms. Ross wrapped his arms around her, and then she moved her arms around him, creating a tight hug that neither would ever want to let go of. Ross, like he had in so many of their hugs before, nuzzled his face into the crevice of Rachel's neck. They stood for a few moments hugging each other, savoring each second they were in each other's arms. They both wondered how they had ever gone so many years without being together.

"Je t'aime," Ross whispered into Rachel's ear.

"Hmmm?" she asked.

Ross pulled out of the hug. "It means I love you."

"Ohhhh," Rachel smiled. "Ok, Je t'aime plus que n'importe quoi."

Ross looked puzzled.

"You're not the only one that looks up romantic things in the French dictionary," Rachel flirted.

"Ah, so what does yours mean?" he asked as his hand twirled her hair.

"I love you more than anything."

"Well I guess you've got me beat," he said revealing a wide grin.

It was amazing how this place had such an effect on both of them. They had always been romantic together in the past, but this city brought it out even more. Yes, it was their first night back together. Naturally they were going to be romantic and say the sweetest things possible to each other. But something about being in the most romantic city in the world made this moment more than they had ever imagined it could be. Both had imagined what it would be like if they got back together. No matter where they were the moment would be amazing. But in their minds they were both very grateful that something had brought them to this place. This place would always be where they could say they got back together. And for that they couldn't help but think, damn, Paris, I love you.


	9. Regrets?

"300 Euros for a pair of shoes?" Ross hollered in his typical high, squeaky voice. "So that's what 450, 500?" Ross looked at the box. "And this is the clearance price!"

"But look at them," Rachel said cheerfully as she twirled her foot in the air. "They're sooo cute!"

"Rach, puppies are cute. Shoes are just meant to protect your feet as you go from point A to B."

"Aw, you know you like them a little bit," Rachel said as she pouted her lips and gave him a sad, puppy eyed look.

"Ok, they're nice," he caved. "But we do need to eat too, you know," he sarcastically said.

"Fine," Rachel said giving in. She didn't really expect him to buy them for her. She just loved playing with him and seeing his eyes bulge when he thought she was serious.

Rachel put the shoes back on the display and put her shoes back on. Ross grabbed her hand and helped her up from the chair she had been sitting in.

"Well I have to get something. I mean it's Chanel, Ross."

"How about some of the perfume you were looking at. I'll get that for you," he said as he kissed her hand. "And you can wear it tonight."

Rachel squeezed his butt and stood up on her toes to whisper in his ear.

"That's all I'm gonna wear tonight."

"Oh really?" he said as his eyebrows lifted with excitement.

Rachel nodded. They made their way through the store and found the perfume counter. Ross almost started coughing as they approached the counter. Rachel playfully slapped him on his arm.

"Oh stop."

"It goes to the head quickly," Ross replied as he rubbed his forehead.

"Ok, what do you think of this one?" Rachel asked as she squirted some on her wrist and moved it towards Ross's face.

He grabbed the bottle from her and shook his head. He came closer, sprayed a dab on her neck, and then brought his nose to her neck. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he smelled her. He also sucked on her neck a little.

"Ross….people are staring," she whispered as he continued to inhale her exuberating scent.

"They must be Americans. We're in Europe. These people are used to this."

"True, true," Rachel replied as Ross pulled away from her. "You like that one?"

"Hmm," he mumbled, grabbing another tester from the counter. "Here try this too." He squirted some on the other side of her neck.

"You're silly you know?" she said, smiling as Ross repeated his move.

"I like this one better," he said holding up the second bottle. "Would you wear this?"

Rachel took the tester from him and sprayed some on her wrist.

"Yeah, this one is nice," she replied.

Ross inched closer to her and grabbed her by the waist. "God, I want you so badly right now," he said, hardy able to contain himself.

Rachel beamed. "Well, well."

"I think there's a dressing room over there," he hinted.

She rubbed his shoulder. "In your dreams."

"Can't blame a guy for trying," Ross teased.

He loved being able to be like this with her. Of course he wasn't actually trying to pressure her to go have sex in the dressing room. She knew he was just being flirtatious. Flirting had always been like foreplay for them. It just made them more anxious to have each other, and it was exciting to propose fantasies of the sort to each other. Although, in the back of her mind, Rachel thought that before the trip was over she might actually be willing to try something like that. She'd keep that a secret for now though.

Ross bought the perfume for Rachel and they headed back onto the main shopping strip of the Champs Elysees.

"Thank you, sweetie," Rachel flirted as she opened the perfume bottle.

"You're welcome," he replied, giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Now I wanna go pick out something for you. There's lots of fun stores you can find something at."

"Is this going to be like that shopping trip we had with Phoebe a couple months ago? Are you gonna put me in a jacket that says 'Boys Will Be Boys' again?"

"That was all Phoebe," she said.

"You still laughed," Ross smirked.

"It was very cute though."

"Well, as long as I don't end up with one of your sweaters again." Ross laughed. "That definitely freaked my date out."

"See, if you hadn't gone shopping with me you might still be with that girl and you wouldn't be here with me," Rachel noted as they continued to stroll down the street.

"Very true," Ross agreed as he draped his arm on Rachel's shoulder. Her arm moved around his back as well.

"Everything happens for a reason," she assured him.

When they reached the corner, they both noticed the Louis Vuitton building at the same time. Ross's facial tones became serious very quickly, and he didn't know if he should say anything to Rachel. Rachel stood still in her tracks for a moment, staring at the building.

"Rach, did you wanna?" Ross started to say.

"No, let's go somewhere else," she interrupted.

Ross couldn't tell if she was upset or just really had no desire to go shopping there.

"You sure? I don't mind going wherever," he said while she interrupted him again.

"Yeah. I wanted to take you somewhere else anyway. I think it's in the opposite direction."

She grabbed his hand and started to pull him down another street. She was quiet for a few minutes, which started to worry Ross. Was she rethinking her decision? When she saw the building her mood seemed to change within seconds. What if she was having regrets?

However, by the time they were at the next store she was herself again. She went from rack to rack, pulling every other garment off. Ross watched her as she glowed like a child in a candy store. She held shirts up to him, trying to imagine how they would look on him. She playfully put sunglasses over his eyes. On a normal day in New York, all this shopping would have tired him out by now. But watching Rachel, seeing how happy she was, made him happy. So he let her dress him up, asked for her opinion on certain outfits, and he even agreed to try on man capris. And he couldn't have asked for a better day.

* * *

Rachel rolled over and moved her arm to Ross's side of the bed. Although she was still in a deep sleep, feeling an empty space was enough to rouse her from her sleep. She sat up in the dark, stretching as she tried to scan the room for Ross. The blinking lights of the clock on the nightstand read 4:30.

They had only been asleep for about three and a half hours now. After more shopping and a nice dinner at a casual restaurant, they went back to the hotel. As Rachel had promised, she put on her new perfume and emerged from the bathroom completely naked. Ross had an eager look on his face, much like the one he had when he saw her dressed up as Princess Leia the first time. They made love twice, with both times being considerably wilder than their first night back together. It was still amazing because they were in love, but they were getting to the point where it was just them as a couple again. Two nights before had been great, but they both had a wave of nervousness over them the entire time. Now they were back together, and everything felt like it had all those years before.

Ross was sitting in a chair by the window, staring out onto the streets that were faintly lit by some streetlights. A strong rain was pouring, and large raindrops were striking the window.

"Hey," Rachel whispered, as she couldn't actually tell if he was awake.

Ross turned his head to her.

"Hey," he whispered back.

"What are you doing? It's late," Rachel asked.

"I can't sleep. Storm woke me up," Ross replied.

Rachel, barely able to keep her eyes open, pulled herself out from under the covers. Tonight she was sleeping in a pair of Ross's boxers again. She crawled to the end of the bed and then got up to go over to Ross. Standing directly behind him, she found the back of his shoulders and began massaging them gently.

"You ok?" she asked. She rested her chin on the top of his head.

"Yeah. Just woke up and was tossing and turning. I thought I'd just get up for a minute. I like watching the rain," he answered.

Rachel lifted her chin from his head and moved in front of him. He pulled her onto his lap and tightly wrapped his arms around her. Her head rested against his.

"It is kinda peaceful isn't it?" she asked as she gazed out the window.

"Yeah, I like the sound," he said as he ran his hand through her messy hair.

Silence followed. Rachel, finally waking up a little, looked directly into his eyes.

"You sure you're ok?" She rubbed her hand through the top of his hair.

"Yeah," Ross replied with another delicate whisper.

Rachel wrapped her arm back around Ross.

"I guess I just feel a little guilty about forcing you to choose between me and your career," he finally admitted after a few more moments of silence.

Rachel closed her eyes and squeezed his body tighter.

"Hey, don't even think that," she said trying to comfort him.

"I know. I can't help it though. You looked kinda upset when we passed by Louis Vuitton today. I couldn't tell what you were thinking," he confessed.

Rachel sat up a little and looked at him.

"I promise you don't have to feel guilty, ok?" she insisted, trying to make him feel better.

"I know, honey. It's just that when we get back to New York I'll have a job to go to, and I feel bad that I'm asking you to go back to nothing."

"Ross, I'll find another job. And it's not like I'm not going back to nothing. I'm going back to my family. I promise you that's where I want to be," she whispered in a happy tone.

With his eyes closed, he rested his forehead against hers. Her hand massaged the back of his neck as she tried to reaffirm him that he is what would make her happy.

"I love you so much," Ross said as he pulled his head away from hers. He looked at the sparkles in her eyes.

She pulled him into another hug, silently letting him know that she loved him too.

"Come back to bed ok?" she asked.

She removed herself from his lap and clasped his hand.

"It's cold over there without you," she continued as she pulled him up from the chair.

Thanks to the glaring streetlights, Rachel could see a small smile emerge on his face. Rachel tugged at his hand, and he followed her back to the bed. Once under the covers, he wrapped his body around her, allowing her head to rest on his chest. He no longer needed his old "hug and roll" trick. Within minutes he had fallen asleep, now feeling relieved that she was having no regrets.


	10. The Right Shoe Size

This chapter is rated **M**.

* * *

Once again Rachel awoke when her hand felt an empty spot on the bed. Wiping the sleep out of her eyes, she pulled herself up and searched the room for her missing boyfriend. She didn't see him, so she assumed that he must be in the bathroom.

"Ross?" she shouted just loudly enough so that he could hear her if he was in there.

No answer.

Rachel shuffled her body to the end of the bed, peeking around the corner at the bathroom door. The door was open and the lights were off. Where was he?

She managed to find her way to the kitchenette as she continued to rub the sleep out of her eyes. This trip was beginning to take its toll on her. She wasn't used to staying up half the night engaging in sex marathons. In fact, the only other lover she had ever done that with had been Paolo. Yet, despite having a perfectly chiseled physique, Paolo didn't have half the energy that Ross had to keep going all night long. She realized that she was twenty-six the last time she had come close to having these kind of nights. Seven years and a child did mean a difference in her energy levels, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. Passionate. Hot. Steamy. She wasn't sure which word could best describe the way the last three nights had been. As she poured some instant coffee into a cup, she could only wonder how she had gone the last three years without sex. No, how could she have gone without sex with someone she loved?

As she sat down at the table, she observed view outside. It had quit raining, but the skies were still cloudy and grey. She wanted to go back to the Eiffel Tower today and see what the Paris skyline looked like during the day, but they were going to have to see what Mother Nature had planned.

Suddenly, the door opened, pulling her out of her lingering thoughts. Ross appeared, looking like he had been a busy tourist all day.

"Where'd you go?" Rachel asked as she turned around at the sound of the opening door.

Ross threw a bag on the bed and approached her with a wide-grinned face.

"Well good morning to you too," he chuckled, giving her an innocent kiss on the lips.

"Morning," she responded, raising her eyebrows to let him know she was still waiting for an answer.

"Well," Ross started as he reached for the bag he had just thrown on the bed. "I woke up early and decided to go do a little shopping."

He pulled a box out of the unmarked plastic bag.

"Oh yeah? Where?" Rachel asked curiously.

He opened the box, which Rachel had immediately suspected was a shoebox.

"You bought them!" Rachel screamed like a little girl, seeing the shoes she had tried on at Chanel the day before.

Ross nodded with a smile.

"You can't afford these," she insisted as she examined one of the shoes.

"Well I was thinking that I practically got a free trip to Paris, so technically I probably can afford them. I mean we haven't had to pay for a plane or hotel," he explained.

"Yeah, but Ross," Rachel had started to say as Ross grabbed her by the waist, pulling their bodies together intensely.

"And I don't really care how much they cost. You like them and I wanted to get them for you," Ross said, resting his forehead against hers. Rachel's arms had moved around Ross's shoulders, and her hands ran tenderly through his hair.

"You're unbelievable," Rachel said as she grinned and rubbed her nose against his. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Ross replied as they released each other.

Rachel sat down on the bed and started to admire the shoes again. Ross found the rest of the coffee she had just made and poured him a cup. It completely astonished him how a person could be so fascinated with a pair of shoes. She examined them the way he would a fossil, checking them to make sure every little detail was the way it should be. But that was one of the many things he loved about her. Just like he had a passion for dinosaurs, she had a passion for fashion. It might not be his area of expertise, but he adored her for caring so much about something. Regardless of the fact that they may not understand one another's interests, they still accepted each other for who they were. Yes, she threw jokes his way about dinosaurs, and he mocked her for spending too much on shoes. But after all was said and done, he loved her for loving fashion.

"Ross, hon," Rachel hesitated.

"Huh?" he asked.

"I think these are the wrong size," she acknowledged, hating to sound picky about the perfect present.

"Oh, no!" Ross squealed as he grabbed the box to look at the size. "This says American size 7. Don't you wear a 7?"

"Well, yeah, normally. But with heels I usually have to get a 6 ½," she corrected him.

Ross scratched his head. "Damnit!"

"Hey, it's ok. We'll just go exchange them before we go do other stuff today. Ok?" she asked, trying to make him feel better.

"Ok. I just hate that I screwed it up," he moped with his puppy dog eyes.

Rachel proceeded to grab him and give him a tight hug.

"You didn't screw it up. You just made me love you a little bit more," she said nibbling at his lower lip.

"Awww, I see," he said, allowing his lips to meet hers.

"Just let me get ready and then we'll go."

"What do you wanna do today?" he asked.

"Let's just be spontaneous," Rachel suggested as she grabbed some clothes from the dresser.

Little did he know she already had something planned for them to do.

* * *

With his hand interlaced with Rachel's, Ross entered the Chanel store for a third time in twenty-four hours. The couple had decided to walk to the store even though the air outside was a little chilly, and the sky was still dark. Ross was hoping he could convince Rachel to go see another museum today, but he was going to wait and see if she had something she wanted to see.

"This place just can't get rid of me can it," Ross laughed as they approached the shoe section.

In typical Rachel fashion, she got distracted before they could get to the shoes. She grabbed Ross's hand and walked towards a table of women's jeans.

"Whatca doing?" Ross asked.

"I just want to look at these really fast," she replied as he stumbled behind her.

"Rach, come on let's exchange the shoes," Ross said, starting to get a bit irritated.

"Just a second ok?"

She held a pair of jeans up to her legs to try and imagine what they would look like on her.

"I'm just going to try these on really fast. Come with me and tell me what you think."

Ross rolled his eyes and followed Rachel to the dressing rooms.

"I'm gonna go put these on and then come out, ok?" she asked.

"Ok," Ross agreed as he had a seat on one of the benches. He didn't feel like arguing with her.

Rachel took the jeans and bag with the shoes into the dressing room and disappeared. Why does she do this, he thought? She's probably going to want to exchange the shoes for the jeans, making his romantic gesture worthless. Can't she just be satisfied with one thing I get her?

"Hey Ross," Rachel hollered from inside the dressing room.

"Yeah?" he yelled back.

"Can you come here a second?"

"Rach, can't you just come show them to me out here?"

"Just come here please," she insisted. "I need help zipping this up."

Ross looked around and didn't see anyone, so he went into the dressing room.

"Where are you?"

"Down here," she answered.

Ross followed the sound of her voice to the end of the hall. The door was slightly cracked.

"Rachel, how can you need help zipping up jeans?" Ross asked as he entered the dressing room.

Ross froze. There she stood gazing at him, completely naked, with the jeans and shoes tucked away neatly in the corner.

He quickly closed the door.

"Rach?" he whispered. "What are you doing?"

She put her finger over her lips. "Shhh," she lightly insisted. "Come here."

She inched closer to him, as he looked around in confusion. Grabbing at his belt, she yanked him close to her and whispered in his ear. "I want you right here, right now."

Lightly stroking her back with his fingertips, he replied, "Rachel, we can't do this here."

Rachel moved around him, examining the door to make sure it was locked. Because it was a full-length door, no one would be able to look under and see two sets of legs. She then grabbed him and started kissing his neck passionately. He didn't know how to react. He had never seen her like this before.

"Yes, we can," she declared, pulling at his belt and unzipping his pants.

Without even realizing it, Ross pushed her almost violently against the wall, forcefully kissing her on the lips and neck. His pants fell to the ground, and Rachel began working the buttons on his shirt. Their tongues danced rhythmically while she continued to undress him. Somehow Ross slipped his shoes off, allowing him to free his legs of his pants and boxers. He couldn't believe he was doing this. But this was hot. Damn not.

Rachel's head stayed against the wall as Ross massaged her neck with his lips. Her hands clawed at his back, as if she was almost begging for him to be inside her at that moment. Rachel's hands then slid from Ross to the hooks on the wall. She grasped them for balance as Ross kissed her breasts and stomach, and she tried with all her might to keep her moans inside.

Probably hotter than she was by now, Ross grabbed her by the waist and led her to the bench. He sat down, motioning her to climb on top of him. Pleased with his change of heart, she smiled at him and obeyed his command. Ross then entered her, and she straddled him, bringing his face to her chest as he moved her up and down.

They had never done anything like this before. Yes, they had sex at the museum on their second date, but they had known that they were the only two in the entire building. (At least until the next morning.) They had also spent a night in a hotel jacuzzi, but it was in a secluded area late at night. Today was as sexy as it could get. This new raw passion brought a wave of excitement to their rekindled relationship.

With her hair flowing freely, Rachel glided Ross in and out of her, allowing his lips to have complete access to her breasts. Her hips swayed side-to-side and forward and backward. Ross watched her as her eyes remained closed and she got lost in the intensity of the moment. He stroked his hands up and down her back and then gracefully along her thighs. She removed her hands from his neck and grabbed his wrists, as if she needed to hold onto him just to keep herself from screaming.

Feeling his climax coming on, Ross suddenly, surprising himself, grabbed Rachel's ass and lifted her into the air. This was not a signature Ross move, and a smile erupted across her face as her arms found their way to his neck again. Her legs wrapped tightly around his lower back for support as he made love to her in a full standing position. He wasn't sure where this strength had come from, but figured it was extra adrenaline rushing through his body during this unexpected action.

His eyes stayed focused on her as she looked at him, the ceiling, and then back at him again. She struggled to keep them open again as he thrusted himself harder and harder into her. Beads of sweat were rolling down her face as she clawed her hands into his back, and he could sense that she just wanted to emit a deafening moan. Her lips turned inside out so she could force her mouth to stay shut. Suddenly, as they could both could feel a climax coming, they heard voices somewhere within the dressing room. Rachel began to lightly moan, and Ross had to remove one hand from her waist. So no one would hear them, he covered her mouth as she continued to try and release her screams. With his hand over her mouth, she looked deeply into his eyes almost begging him to move it, but it didn't budge. His thrusts became faster and her eyes again pleaded with him to move his hand, but he still wouldn't. Then, as if they were the same person, they climaxed together, only expressing their pleasure to each other with their eyes.

As the intensity subdued, Ross removed his hand from her mouth, and her legs fell from their tight grasp of his body. Her feet found the ground as Ross pulled her close to him, and her arms wrapped around his sweaty body. They breathed quietly together until their bodies returned to a state of normalcy, all the while enjoying each other's touch and sexual scents. He kept her head buried in his chest almost as if he was comforting her.

"Oh my God," she finally whispered as she continued to recover with deep breaths.

Ross glanced down at her, releasing a bright smile as his hands ran through her hair.

"What in the world was that?" he asked curiously but happy that it had happened.

"I don't know," she replied lightly running her fingertips up and down his chest. "After what you said yesterday I couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like." She kissed the center of his chest, slightly above his pectoral muscles.

"Wow, I wasn't even serious," he admitted. "But I'm glad you thought I was."

She returned a smile to him, turning to find her clothes that were scattered on the floor.

"I don't know what came over me," she whispered as she put her clothes back on.

"See now you've spoiled me. I'm going to wanna do it all over the place now," Ross joked as he zipped up his pants and put his shirt back on.

"One thing at a time, sweetie," she giggled, helping him with the buttons on his shirt.

"I guess I'll go back out first so no one suspects anything," Ross suggested. Rachel nodded in agreement.

Rachel waited a few moments to follow. Collecting her shoes and the jeans she never tried on, she smiled at the thought of what had just happened. She knew not every time was going to be so intense or fiery, but that was ok. It was enough just knowing that they had it in them, even in their mid-thirties. Even if Ross seemed hesitant at first, she knew he had it deep down in him somewhere. He was the only guy she had ever been willing to do anything like this with and felt so blessed that he was hers again. I love him so much, she thought.

While waiting for Rachel, Ross had a memory of a night nearly ten years before. The city had gone dark, and he was at Monica's with most of the gang. Somehow he and Rachel got into a discussion about having passion in a relationship. She had never experienced anything of the sort with a lover, but he tried to reassure her that she would eventually find it. She had no idea that he considered himself to be the one that could potentially be the one to do it. When they started dating, he knew that she had finally found someone who could be a friend and an amazing lover. Yet, even if after all their nights together she still felt she had never experienced real passion, he knew that today she truly had. That's Paris for you, he thought.

Rachel emerged from the dressing room with a glow still on her face. Her hair was still a little messy, but she had done her best to brush it out. She spotted Ross leaning against a beam with his hands in his pockets, just smiling widely at her as she came towards him.

"So did the jeans fit?" he asked, cocking his head to the side with a wide grin.

"Nope, not this time," she played along.

She reached for his hand, grasping it tightly as they walked through the store. She loved holding his hand.

"Ok, well let's exchange your shoes. You still want the same ones?"

Rachel, grinning again, turned to him. "The shoes fit fine, honey."

"What?" he asked, confused.

"How else did you think I was going to get you down here," she chuckled, leading him with her hand to the front of the store.

Ross just shook his head. He couldn't believe how she continued to amaze him.


End file.
